Happy Halloween!

 

I somehow managed to squirrel away the whole day off. My plans are to read the afternoon away (probably some laundry because that's my life). In the evening our town throws a pretty fun little street party. Since I don't have to work I'm going to go do that. Walk around, and have some fun. Then go home, watch a couple of spooky movies then call it a night! 

Hope everyone else has a fun and safe Spooky Day!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!

Waiting on Wednesday

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

We Called Them Giants is a story of communication across a chasm at the end of the world.

Lori wakes to find the streets empty. Everyone has gone. Or at least, nearly everyone. She’s thrown into a world where she has to scrape by in the ruins of civilization, nearly starving, hiding from gangs when …

They arrive.

Why I'm Waiting: There's something about this that keeps drawing me in, I need to get my hands on it.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

Once upon a time, Andrew had cut out his heart and given it to this boy, and he was very sure Thomas had no idea that Andrew would do anything for him.

Protect him. Lie for him. Kill for him.

High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality—Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won’t say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork—whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew’s wicked stories.

Desperate to figure out what’s wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster—Thomas’s drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator…

 

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews.

I finished A Dowry of Blood and then immediately jumped into An Encore of Roses. This was just okay. I liked the idea of Alexi having his own story because he was so full of spit and vinegar, but something about time and being separate from the ladies he lost a bit of his shine. While this was still good, I loved the idea behind this book, I was a bit disappointed with this one compared to A Dowry of Blood. This was a just because you should, doesn't mean should for me. It's nice we have it, but I prefer the oringal ending of the series.

I discovered this gem last year thanks to my local library and fell in absolute love with the character of squire. The plot itself is a lot of fun, I love bumbling knight who only survives because is squire is smarter than him. This one hit all my favorite things about fantasy books growing up. I re-read it this year because the second volume just came out, and I couldn't remember much about this story. Now I'm excited to jump into Squire & Knight: Wayward Travelers!

HAPPY READING!!

 

Cover Runway Sunday

  

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

Noah Fairchild has been losing his formerly polite Southern parents to far-right cable news for years, so when his mother leaves him a voicemail warning him that the “Great Reawakening” is here, he assumes it’s related to one of the many conspiracy theories she believes in. But when his own phone calls go unanswered, Noah makes the long drive from Brooklyn to Richmond, Virginia. There, he discovers his childhood home in shambles, a fridge full of spoiled food, and his parents locked in a terrifying trance-like state in front of the TV. Panicked, Noah attempts to snap them out of it and get medical help.

Then Noah’s mother brutally attacks him.

But Noah isn’t the only person to be attacked by a loved one. Families across the country are tearing each other apart-–literally-–as people succumb to a form of possession that gets worse the more time they spend watching particular channels, using certain apps, or visiting certain websites. In Noah’s Richmond-based family, only he and his young nephew Marcus are unaffected. Together, they must race back to the safe haven of Brooklyn–-but can they make it before they fall prey to the violent hordes?

This ambitious, searing novel from "one of horror's modern masters" holds a mirror to our divided nation, and will shake readers to the core.

HAPPY READING!!

Dowry of Blood - Review

Author: A Dowry of Blood

Genre: Horror 

Format: eBook

Pages: 292

First, a huge thank you to a friend of mine who recommended me this book. I  don't think I would have picked this one up otherwise. Despite the amazing cover and cool concept, I wasn't sure this one was for me. And, while it wasn't my usual go-to read, thank you so much for talking into giving it a chance. Because I adored this book.

The concept of this book is something I think appeals to a lot of lovers of Dracula. The story is told through the eyes of one of the wives. We know Dracula is the villain of the story, but he wasn't always the villain to everyone, always. 

It was such a unique take on an old classic, but the prose was beautiful. You can see just how much Constanta loves Dracula. It exists throughout the entire story, but by the time she's writing this letter, she finally understands the truth of everything. So while there's love, there is also sadness, but I don't think there is any regret. Not for how things started or finished.

For me this book was hard to put down. The way this book was written just blew me away and sucked me right in, but I stayed for the plot, to see how it all unfolded. Because I had to know. So quickly I became attached to all three of the lovers and I wanted them to find happiness.

But, I was a little afraid not all of them would make it.

My only thing is the climax feels a bit rushed, but I almost think that was the point. It wouldn't be something Constanta would want to think about, let alone write about. I do love how it all built together and led to the infamous night. I loved that we got a small little flashforward of everyone going out looking for happiness.

A happy ending, for now, kind of ending. Because who knows the future, especially as long as there's one, will bring.

Two last things to note. I do love that the Hawkers got a small mention, even if it is mostly a footnote. It was a fun little easter egg, but I'm glad this didn't follow the book shot for shot. It is its own beast. Lastly, I love that we never get Dracula by name, instead, he's referred to as my lord, my love, husband, etc. Constanta even says she'll never repeat his name. I loved that because this story wasn't his, it was her and it deserved to be told.

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

Folklorist Ben Gazur guides you through the dark alleys of British history to uncover how our food habits have been passed down through generations of folklore.

Who was the first person to throw salt over their shoulder? Why do we think carrots can help us see in the dark? When did we start holding village fairs to honour gigantic apple pies? Or start hurling ourselves down hills in pursuit of a wheel of cheese? Gazur investigates the origins of famous food superstitions as well as much more bizarre and lesser-known tales too, from what day the devil urinates on blackberries to how to stop witches using eggshells as escape boats.

Hilarious and fascinating, A Feast of Folklore will introduce you to the gloriously eccentric folk who aren’t often noticed by historians. Here lies a smorgasbord of their dark remedies and deadly delicacies, waiting to be discovered.

Why I'm Waiting: I'm a bit of a nerd about food, so I'm so excited for this one!

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

Benjamin Stevenson returns with a Christmas addition to his bestselling, “deviously good fun” (Nita Prose), Ernest Cunningham mysteries. Unwrap all the Christmas staples: presents, family, an impossible murder or two, and a deadly advent calendar of clues. If Knives Out and The Thursday Murder Club kissed under the mistletoe.

My name’s Ernest Cunningham. I used to be a fan of reading Golden Age murder mysteries, until I found myself with a haphazard career getting stuck in the middle of real-life ones. I’d hoped, this Christmas, that any self-respecting murderer would kick their feet up and take it easy over the holidays. I was wrong.

So here I am, backstage at the show of world-famous magician Rylan Blaze, whose benefactor has just been murdered. My suspects are all professional tricksters: masters of the art of misdirection.

THE MAGICIAN

THE ASSISTANT

THE EXECUTIVE

THE HYPNOTIST

THE IDENTICAL TWIN

THE COUNSELLOR

THE TECH

My clues are even more abstract: A suspect covered in blood, without a memory of how it got there. A murder committed without setting foot inside the room where it happens. And an advent calendar. Because, you know, it’s Christmas.

If I can see through the illusions, I know I can solve it.

After all, a good murder is just like a magic trick, isn’t it?

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

 

I was looking for another book, and I have no idea how I came across it in the library's online catalog. However, I'm so glad I did because despite this being so morbid, it was also very funny. I mean, who doesn't love cute little poems of death, that are illustrated. October was the perfect month to stumble across this book because I cannot think of a better time of year to read this. I adored this, it made me smile, and laugh. A happy accident thanks to my library's strange search function on their app. 

I was looking for weird little books to fill my day off last week, and I stumbled across Schnitzel and screamed a little Ed Gorey and little Tim Burton. So my tiny goth-adjacent heart was all in. This was a lot of fun, and even a moral of what being lazy was bad. Because you never know when a vampire is going to show up and sell you a vacuum that eats everything. (I mean I might have been a bit dubious because I've seen 10th Kingdom, and see how badly that wish can go). Perfect for spooky season and for kids of all ages. I really liked the black-and-white drawing style with the hint of color. Personally, it's one of my favorites. Side note, this was actually my second time reading this, I read it back in 2020 but had no memory of this place because I was devouring books as something to do while in lockdown. So I'm super glad to rediscover this one. It was adorable.

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

  

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

The podcast, Aaron Mahnke’s Cabinet of Curiosities, has delighted millions of listeners for years with tales of the wonderful, astounding, and downright bizarre people, places, and things throughout history. Now, in Cabinet of Curiosities the book, learn the fascinating story of the invention of the croissant in a country that was not France, and relive the adventures of a dog that stowed away and went to war, only to help capture a German spy. Along the way, readers will pass through the American state of Franklin, watch Abraham Lincoln’s son be rescued by his assassin’s brother, and learn how too many crash landings inspired one pilot to leave the airline industry and trek for the stars. For the first time ever, Aaron has gathered scores of his favorites in print, and curated them into a beautiful, topical collection for devoted followers and new fans alike.

HAPPY READING!!

Currently Reading - Spooky Edition

I have an entire Saturday off, with nowhere to go, and no responsibilities! So I have gathered some spooky books, put my coziest blankets, some snacks, and here I shall be with my cat and my spooky reads. Honestly, the goal is to unplug for the day, not have to check my phone, and just relax. Work has been crazy busy, the weather has been weird, and I've been fighting against this cold that seems to be sticking around. So I'm super excited for a day of reading, Max cuddles, and snacks.

First a shout-out to my roommate for the recommendation of Dowry of Blood, I'm not sure I would have picked this up without it, and that would have been a travesty because it's so good! The first goal is to finish reading that. The second, and final goal, is to curl up in my next and rot for a few hours. Snacks tucked away, spooky lo-fi beats, and my rice bag working on this stupid knot that's refusing to budge from my shoulder blade! Plus spooky books! 

Bonus: if I mange to reada ll three of these today, I'll be three books away from reading goal! 

HAPPY READING!!

Night Worms Unboxing

 

October Theme: Voice to Fear

It's finally here! And, it was totally worth the wait! While I know that I'm not emotionally ready for Coup de Grace, I have been really excited for its release. I'm glad it's a novella because it sounds super intense, and I only think I can take a small dose of it before I need to touch some grass (or eat a whole bag of jelly candy). I've been a little on the fence about The Cursed House, I've been disappointed by Southern Gothics in the past. However, I like the period (1960s) this one is based on. I think it's the perfect environment to build a good Gothic. Bonus, I know my roommate will be excited to see this one on my shelf!

Speaking of roommate, she's going to love our hot beverage this month. While I like pumpkin in my desserts and pastries, I'm not a fan of it in my coffee or cocoa. My roommate however is a fan, so this will be a nice surprise for her, and I'm sure she has the perfect book to read it with. As for the stickers, I'm in love with both. My crow is going to find it on my travel coffee mug, but I don't know what I'm going to do with my ghosts. The laptop is already covered, and so are both my water bottles. So I'm going to tuck that one away until I know where I can put where I can show it off. Or, find a way to make it into a magnet. I might know someone who can teach me to do that!

Another awesome delivery from Night Worms. I don't know where I'm going to put my books because the bookshelf is full. Though I don't think Coup de Grace will be there long. That might work its way up on my TBR. We've got some rainy days ahead that feel this book will be perfect for!

HAPPY READING!!

The Doll's House - Review

Author: The Doll's House

Genre: Horror / Novella

Format: eBook

Pages: 98

Lisa Unger is one of the writers that I always had their books to my TBR, or library list, but for one reason or another, I never picked those books. There's no reason, I want to read them, it's why I add them to my TBR. For some reason I just never pick them. I don't know if it's an object pertinence thing where it's out of sight, out of mind, or something else. But the other day I was looking for quick, spooky reads to add to my TBR when I came across The Doll's House by Lisa Unger, I had just added another of her books, and I thought it perfect timing. 

I'm so glad that I added this book. I started Sunday after work, thought about it all day Monday at work, and devoured it before work on Tuesday. This was a wild ride for a book that is only 98 pages. So much is jammed back into this book, but it all flows together into a perfect story that keeps you on the edge of your seat. It's part a ghost story, part a story about how trauma shapes you and the decisions you make. 

It was beautiful, and I will definitely be picking up more of Lisa Unger's books.

What I really liked about The Doll's House was that it works as a short story. There is a clear beginning, middle, and end. All the questions have answers and you feel satisfied with how things are wrapped up. This is a full story, but it does feel like parts of this story were rushed. No major parts, the jump scares were on point, and everything that happened with Jules had my heart racing as I devoured her last couple of chapters with Kirin. But I would have loved to spend more on the mystery of it all, on Kirin's obsession, and on the ghost aspect of the story.

While this works as a novella, it also would have worked as a full-fledged novel. I would loved a deeper dive into Kirin's backstory with his story, and watching Scout and her new friends uncover it all. But, it would have been filler. On its own, how it stands, this book works and is great. It's spooky, said, and as a happy-for-now ending. It was a great way for me to test the waters with a new author because it was low risk, high reward. 

If you need a quick read this Spooky Season that is more thriller with a dash of spooky, get this one on your TBR!

HAPPY READING!!

Waiting on Wednesday

 

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally, they are books that have yet to be released but don't have to be. It is based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous at Breaking the Spine.

Over the last century, Betty Crocker has created thousands of well-tested, wonderful recipes, some especially that spark fond memories today, whether they were made by a grandparent, served at holiday meals, or were part of a trend of the time. In Betty Crocker Found Recipes, you’ll find these rediscovered vintage but timeless favorites. Some of these rare recipes were most frequently requested by lifelong Betty Crocker fans, which you'll see in the Found Lost Recipe features throughout the book. Others are ones that rose to the top of the Betty Crocker Test Kitchens recipe boxes over the years. And, during the search for favorite recipes to be included in this book, Betty Crocker fans shared stories of favorite recipes they’ve lost and couldn’t find—so the Betty Crocker Kitchens recreated them for the Recreated Lost Recipes features, along with the fans’ heartwarming memories behind them.

The comprehensive chapters are organized by occasion and course, from Holiday Celebrations, Memorable Main Dishes, and Warm from the Oven Breads, to Irresistible Cookies & Bars, and Better than Ever Desserts, and the specially curated recipes include nostalgic favorites like:

-Eggnog French Toast Strata with Cranberry Syrup
-Hush Puppy–Fried Chicken
-Beef Burgundy
-Coconut Chicken with Chutney
-Parmesan Bread Bowls
-Chocolate Buttermallow Cake
-Peachy Custard Squares
-Oatmeal Refrigerator Cookies
-Strawberry-Raspberry Fool

Betty Crocker Found Recipes shares these timeless, rediscovered recipes, with full nutritional information, for the next generation of home cooks and bakers to enjoy for years to come. These tasty dishes are lost no more!

Why I'm Waiting: I love cookbooks with older recipes. I always scour thrift stores for them. So I'm excited to see what Betty Crocker is going to put together.

HAPPY READING!!

New Release Tuesday

 

In the second volume of this middle-grade graphic novel series, our heroes search for the mysterious school of wizardry, but are thwarted at every turn by thick mist, winding woods and fearsome creatures!


Our heroes are lost.
Squire and Sir Kelton have promised to get Cade to the school of wizardry. Strangely though, the path they’ve taken has brought them into a bewildering, misty forest, rife with fearsome gnolls and a boisterous rival knight. To get them out, Squire tries every trick in the book, but books don't hold all the answers. Can he muster up his confidence, remember his duties, and find a way to escape the forest?

HAPPY READING!!

Cult Following - Review

Author: J.W. Ocker

Genre: Nonfiction

Format: Hardback

Pages: 272

J.W. Ocker is one of my favorite authors at the moment. I enjoyed his first two books (Cursed Objects and United States of Cryptids). So when I heard he had a new book coming out I smashed the keyboard to add it to my TBR, and when Quirk Book offered me a copy right before publishing day, I jumped at the chance.

One of my favorite genres is true crime, followed by my weird nonfiction books. Cult Following falls into both categories. It's a bit of true crime because most of these cults are hinky, and a lot weird because most of these cults, well I'm still confused about how anyone would follow them. It just seems so out there.

Yet here we are.

I will say I only knew maybe four of these cults, some only the bare facts, or one moment in their history. The rest of this book was completely new information to me. This makes books like this a lot more fun because I'm not reading about the same groups repeatedly. It made this even more of a roller coaster ride because that's exactly what it is.

A roller coaster ride. This went from one extreme to the next. Ocker starts us off nice and slow with some crazy cults but benign. Dangerous but not that dangerous, and that was about as chill as this book was. Because after that it was all downhill and each chapter jumped from one extreme to the next. 

Like after a couple of chapters I needed to take a break because holy crap. Holy crap. This was not something I could marathon through because I needed a break with something happy and shiny. Because holy crap. This was one of those books where you read something so extreme that you need to share it. Bless my roommate for dealing with me just unloading this book on her.

Holy crap.

I will say you can tell how much research and time that Ocker put into this. Thankfully the chapters are short, Ocker sticking to the pertinent information for each cult. Though he didn't hold back any punches, and thankfully his own opinion in places. Because honestly that little bit of humor was needed to break up the crazy.

This was an amazing read, and I'm so excited to add it to my J.W. Ocker collection. Cult Following was a wild ride cover to cover. If you are a true crime lover or an avid nonfiction fan, this one is for you! I cannot recommend these Ocker's books enough, he's three for three for me!

HAPPY READING!!

Cover Runway Sunday

  

They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but we all know we do it. Sometimes the cover initially catches our eye, drawing us to give a book a closer look. It's the first thing we see, our first impression. Every Sunday I'm going to post some of my favorite covers of books coming soon!

Madeline Brimley left small town Georgia many years ago to go to college and pursue her dreams on the stage. Her dramatic escapades are many but success has eluded her, leaving her at loose ends. But then she gets word that not only has her beloved, eccentric Aunt Rose passed, but she's left Madeline her equally eccentric bookstore housed in an old Victorian mansion in the small college town of Enigma. But when she arrives in her beat-up Fiat to claim The Old Juniper Bookstore, and restart her life, Madeline is faced with unexpected challenges. The gazebo in the back yard is set ablaze and a late night caller threatens to burn the whole store down if she doesn't leave immediately.

But Madeline Brimley, not one to be intimidated, ignores the threats and soldiers on. Until there's another fire and a murder in the store itself. Now with a cloud of suspicion falling over her, it's up to Madeline to untangle the skein of secrets and find the killer before she herself is the next victim.

HAPPY READING!!

Mini Reviews

This was absolutely adorable! It's perfect for younger readers this spooky season and a lot of fun for older readers. It has a Wednesday Addams feel to it. This book is about being yourself and that sometimes it's okay to like the weird things and not fit inside the box. Because that weird thing makes you unique. 

BestGhost is a sample of a book that author C.J. Daley published to introduce to another book he's working on. And, if this was the introduction I'm all in. This was the perfect quick read this Spooky Season as two friends go into their town's most haunted house to prove, or disapprove in Boomer's case, that ghosts exist. Only they got more than they bargained for. I love that this has an open-ended ending. For a second I thought I knew how this was going to end, but I was wrong. That last little chapter turned everything on its head. If was the intro to what Daley is working on, he has my attention! 

HAPPY READING!!